The invention relates to wall construction systems for refractory furnaces and kilns and more specifically, it relates to an improved wall construction system for the inner refractory brick walls of such refractory furnaces and kilns.
Past experience has shown that some of the processes for which the kilns and/or furnaces of the present invention are used are sometimes subject to explosions within the structure that can displace the bricks used to build the inner lining of the structure. The replacement of such bricks is an expensive, time consuming process that can cause considerable downtime and result in substantial monetary loss.
It is therefore desirable to provide a wall construction configuration that secures a given furnace block to adjacent furnace blocks such that the force of an explosion is unlikely to cause relative movement of any of the blocks. At the same time, however, it is necessary to interconnect the blocks in a manner that allows the construction of furnaces thirty to sixty feet high, without loss of strength vertically. It is therefore important to also anchor or support the blocks so that the walls cannot cave inwardly or outwardly in reaction to an explosion or to other forces encountered in the process.
Presently known wall systems utilize complex anchoring systems, irregularly shaped bricks, and other features that are believed to make them disadvantageous and expensive to use. It is therefore desirable to also provide a simple brick configuration that may be easily anchored to a supporting structure in a manner that yields flexibility in terms of construction for differing sizes of structure (wherein the identical brick system may be used for a wide range of sizes and shapes), and that addresses needs such as room for expansion within the structure during the process due to heat and other factors. The construction of the bricks must still further provide the desired stability, heat, and erosion resistant properties commonly required for such structures.